(1). Field of the Invention
This invention relates, in general, to a means useful in facilitating the extraction or removal of video cassettes and the like from storage jackets therefor. In a further aspect, the invention relates to improved protective storage jackets for video cassettes and the like-shaped members provided with such an extraction means. Still further, the invention relates to a storage device or enclosing structure of relatively simple construction for storing a plurality of the improved storage jackets with video cassettes contained therein.
(2). Description of the Prior Art
Over the last several years, video cassette players/recorders ("VCRs") have become ever increasingly popular. Today, it is believed that over a majority of homes in the United States have at least one of such players/recorders. The popularity of the VCR has been accompanied not only with an ever increasing number of video cassette movies available for purchase or rent by the consumer but also in the recording by VCR owners of various movies presented on television for later playback. As a result, the VCR owner's library of prerecorded movies or the like on video cassette tapes is itself ever increasing. Some VCR owners have acquired libraries of prerecorded movies and other material of substantial size.
The popularity of VCRs is, perhaps, even exceeded by audio cassette players/recorders for audio tapes. And, it is expected that the popularity of the compact disc players/recorders will rival that of the audio cassette. As a result, music lovers and the like have accumulated libraries of prerecorded music on audio tape cassettes and compact discs. These libraries, like those of video cassettes, are ever increasing in size, and, in the case of some individuals, the libraries comprise substantially large numbers of audio cassette tapes and compact discs.
Nevertheless, whether an individual's library of video or audio cassettes, or compact discs, is of substantial numbers or not, it is desirable that the video and audio cassette tapes containing prerecorded material, or material recorded by the consumer, and compact discs containing such material, be stored in some organized fashion. As a result, a plethora of racks and other storage devices have become available to the consumer for the storage of the tape cassettes and compact discs. The storage devices are, in large part, of a box-like construction with an open front providing an internal rectangular-shaped compartment for location and storage of a predetermined number of tape cassettes or compact discs. The video cassettes in such storage devices are, in general, disposed vertically with respect to one another. These storage devices are, in some cases at least, adapted to be attached to a wall and in other cases are adapted to rest on top of a table, television cabinet, or other such supporting member. Some of the storage devices can be interlocked or nested together in a side-to-side horizontal manner, and in verticle fashion, superposed one above the other.
It is commonly known that dirt, dust and the like acts to damage blank tapes and to destroy the visual or sound qualities, or both, of the material recorded on the cassette tapes. Such destructive agents gain access to the tape, audio or video, through the tape access openings in the cassette. In the case of compact discs, it will be readily appreciated that the sound track is open to ruination by dirt and dust. As a result of such destructive agents being common to the environment during the marketing channels for such tapes and discs and in the home after purchase, such are generally sold, as is well known, in the case of video tapes, in a protective jacket, and in the case of audio tapes and compact discs, in a clear plastic box providing complete enclosure of the tape or disc. The blank tapes and discs are, in general, kept by the consumer in such protective jackets and enclosures, until desired to be used for recording a movie or music. At such time, the plastic or other wrapper is removed from around the jacket, etc. and the blank tape removed from the protective jacket or other enclosure. Subsequent to recording of the movie, for example, the video cassette is then placed by the consumer back into the protective jacket until desired to view the movie at a later time. Pre-recorded movies and music are, in general, handled in the same manner, whether or not such cassettes are to be stored in a storage device for a predetermined number of the video or audio cassettes. The protective jacket in which a video tape cassette is sold provides not only protection against dust, etc., it also serves to protect the tape cassette and tape from being damaged while in the channels of trade. And, it serves a similar purpose after purchase.
The protective jacket for a video cassette is constructed, in general, from plastic, or heavy paper coated so as to be printable thereon with various illustrations, designs, text, etc. These jackets are of an elongated rectangular shape, as is believed well known, and are open at one elongated end, i.e. the front, so that the tape cassette can be extracted from and placed back into the internal storage compartment provided by the jacket, as desired. The jacket's internal dimensions are closely that of the tape cassette and the back planar surface of the cassette, i.e., the surface opposite from that of the tape access opening, to which an identifying label is typically attached, is essentially in the same plane as that defined by the open front of the protective jacket. Because of such construction and dimensions, somewhat of a problem is presented in extracting or removing a cassette from its protective jacket, as it is difficult to grasp the back edge of the cassette with one's fingers in order to extract it from the jacket. As a result, the two elongated edges of the jacket, at the front open end, are, in some cases at least, provided with opposed indentations or cut-outs along their length, to enable one to grasp the back edge of the cassette with one's fingers, aiding withdrawal of the tape cassette from the jacket. Although such cut-outs enable one to withdraw a particular video cassette from its protective jacket with relative ease, the cut-outs provide no help at all where a predetermined number of such video cassettes are stored in vertical disposition, for example, in their jackets, side-by-side, in a storage device therefor. The next adjacent jackets, in such a case, are in substantial contact with one another, making it most difficult, if not impossible, for one to grasp any particular cassette or jacket with one's fingers so as to be able to remove such a cassette, or the protective jacket containing it, from between the next adjacent protective jackets. As a result of this problem, or its potential, storage devices for a library of a predetermined number of cassettes have been typically provided with dividers or separating means so as to provide individual storage compartments for each video cassette and its protective jacket. These dividers are, in general, of such a depth that each falls short of the edge of the front opening of the protective jacket, providing the next adjacent jackets a distance spaced apart from one another sufficient to allow a particular jacket to be readily grasped by one's fingers and extracted with included cassette from the library of cassettes. Where the protective jacket is provided with the opposed cut-outs, as earlier-mentioned, the video cassette can then be readily removed from the jacket. Otherwise, the consumer is then still presented with the problem of not being able to readily grasp the back edge of the cassette with appropriate fingers for extracting the cassette from the protective jacket.
Moreover, although the divided storage devices, earlier disclosed, quite adequately, in most cases, serve their intended purpose, such storage devices require a greater volume in the storage compartment than is necessitated by the mere volume of the cassette tapes, if stored in their protective jackets in side-by-side contact with one another. Although such additional volume may present little of a problem in the case of libraries with a relatively small number of video cassettes, the problem is of some concern where a library contains a relatively large number of tape cassettes, due to the wasted space necessitated in the construction of the storage device. The problem of wasted space is made even greater where a plurality of such divided storage devices are arranged in horizontal side-by-side fashion and superposed one above the other in vertical rows, particularly where one's available space for a library of tapes is somewhat limited. Perhaps even more importantly however, the manufacture of cassette storage devices provided with dividers is necessarily somewhat more costly than such storage devices would be if the dividers could be left out because such were not required in the storage device for facilitating removal of a particular cassette from the library.
Sometimes, the consumer removes a video cassette from its protective jacket and stores the cassette, particularly after such has been used to record a movie or the like, in another, book-like enclosure provided for cassette storage. Such a storage device is somewhat larger than the protective jacket and provides, on being opened, an internal storage compartment for the tape cassette. This type of storage device offers good protection to the cassette tape against dust, or other damage, and allows easy extraction of the tape cassette. Nevertheless, the book-like storage device presents the same problem in removal of any particular cassette from a library thereof as does the protective jacket. If they are stored together, a particular storage device cannot be readily grasped by one's fingers for removal from between next adjacent storage devices. Accordingly, typically the storage device for a library of such protected cassettes is provided with dividers so as to space the next adjacent individual cassette book-like storage devices from one another, enabling the grasping by one's fingers of a particular storage device containing the movie desired. Nevertheless, the somewhat larger overall size of such a storage device, when compared to that of the protective jacket in which the tape cassette is provided, when purchased, necessitates a somewhat larger library storage space. Thus, a storage device for a library of a certain number of cassettes (in the book-like storage device) will need either be somewhat larger if the same number of cassettes are desired to be stored as a unit, e.g., a library of 6 cassettes, or the number of cassettes in such a library will need be fewer, e.g., only 5 cassettes, if the dimensions of the storage device are to remain the same as that for cassettes stored merely in the protective jacket in which they were purchased. Furthermore, while these book-like storage devices provide relatively easy extraction of the cassette from such a device, their use is attendant with other problems and disadvantages. The manufacture of such a storage device is relatively costly and where such is used the original protective jacket is discarded by the consumer, as such is no longer needed. Moreover, the internal storage compartment provided is considerably larger than the cassette resulting in wasted space in each. Further, the extraction of a cassette from such a storage device requires that such, if stored along with other cassettes in a larger storage device for a predetermined number of cassettes, be totally removed therefrom, in order to open the device for removing the cassette.
Other storage devices for a library of tape cassettes, or compact discs, are also known. The storage devices are somewhat similar in construction to the conventional one drawer file for storing papers. Such storage devices typically comprise an enclosure of rectangular shape defining a rectangular shaped internal compartment for location of a drawer which may be pulled out from, and pushed back into, the storage compartment, as desired. The drawer may provide for storage of one or more rows of a predetermined number of tape cassettes or discs. The cassettes or discs are typically stored laying down, in horizontal fashion, and one next to the other, sometimes in "individual compartments" provided by dividers located in each row of the drawer.
As a result of the difficulties presented in removing a video cassette from the conventional protective jacket provided with the cassette, as above pointed out, others heretofore have addressed this problem. Thus, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,369 there is disclosed a storage apparatus or dispenser for storing a pre-recorded program tape cartridge which comprises a box-like construction having one side open and which provides an entrance into the internal storage compartment. The tape cartridge is slidable into, and out of, the storage compartment through the front opening. An actuator mechanism is mounted to the internal backside of the compartment having spring bracing means for forcibly urging a stored cassette out of the storage compartment. The actuator means is made operable by a finger operated lever means connected operatively therewith which extends outwardly from the storage cavity. The lever means is pivoted at its mid-section and has a latch at the end opposite the protruding finger engaging end. The latch engages with a catch on the actuator mechanism which is forced rearwardly into the storage compartment on slidably inserting a cassette. On operation of this lever means the springs associated with the actuator mechanism operate to forcibly urge a push plate toward the front opening which, in turn, causes the tape cartridge to be pushed forward. Thus, the back edge of the tape cartridge clears the front opening of the storage device. The cartridge then can be readily grasped by one's fingers and slidably removed from the storage compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,162 discloses an elongated rectangular-shaped storage box for use in storing video cassettes in upright manner. The storage device or box provided offers, according to the patentee, quick and easy removal of a video cassette from the storage device. The box is of one piece construction with an open front for accessing the storage compartment which is disclosed to be only slightly larger than the normal size video cassette. The storage box is provided with a slidable tray having a tab at the front end which extends outwardly from the front opening of the storage box, and which has a handle portion for easy grasp by the user of the storage device. The slidable tray is provided at the other end with an upwardly extending tongue which engages with the rearmost corner of a cassette. Thus, when the cassette is loaded into the storage device it is located on the slidable tray and that tray slides backwardly into, and to the rear of, the storage box, as the cassette is pushed into the storage compartment. When it is desired to remove the cassette, the tab is gripped by one's fingers and pulled in a direction directly outwardly from the storage box whereby the slidable tray with the cassette located thereon is moved outwardly, clearing the edges of the storage box, at the open front. The cassette can then be readily grasped by one's fingers and removed from the storage box.
Further, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,259, which issued Sept. 9, 1975, there is disclosed a magnetic tape cassette storage container in which the cassettes are each stored in individual compartments and, thus, protected from dirt, dust and the like. Each storage compartment has a rectangular-shaped internal storage cavity in which is provided on the rear wall thereof an ejection spring which facilitates the removal of a tape cassette. When the cassette is put into the storage compartment, the ejection spring is compressed and held in that position by a door to the storage cavity. On opening the door to remove the cassette, the ejection spring moves the cassette housed in the compartment outwardly by an amount adequate to allow the cassette to be grasped by the fingers of the person desiring the cassette.
Although the construction of the tape storage containers disclosed in the above-mentioned patents may be found to facilitate the removal of a tape cassette from its storage compartment, the use of such is believed attendant with certain disadvantages. The construction of each of such storage containers, as will be appreciated, is relatively complex, compared to that of the protective jacket which video tape cassettes, whether blank or containing prerecorded movies or the like, are typically sold. Accordingly, it is believed obvious that the cost of such storage devices for video casettes will be substatially greater than that of the conventional rectangular-shaped, open front, protective storage jacket.
Thus, there remains a need for a means for storing video cassettes and the like which not only provides good protection to an individual tape against dust, dirt and other damage but also allows simplicity in construction and easy extraction of the cassette from its storage device, and at reasonable cost. Further, there is a need for a means for storing and maintaining a library of a predetermined number of cassettes in the most compact manner.